Libby almost jerked the car off the road.
"See? Even the steering is messed up on this thing."
"Believe it or not, I have some money to buy a car. I scrimped through college on a few scholarships and tried to pay off the rest of school as I went. Aunt Leanne surprised me and paid for my last semester of school. I was able to tuck some money away into savings from work. As hard as it is to say goodbye to this car, I know it's time to get something more reliable."
"Oh good, I thought I might have to fly you down to Vegas so I could buy you a car after our wedding."
"Very funny."
Libby had the odd sensation that their friendship was shifting. He'd never joked around like this before. Never about anything that hinted of a future relationship. She didn't know why, but it felt like Evan had staked an “uncharted territory” sign over their friendship. He had offered to buy her a car. That crossed the line into something else. She wasn't sure what that something else was or what she wanted to do about it, so she pretended like she didn't notice the shift.
"So, about them Yankees," she said with a tense smile.
Evan laughed and took the hint. The rest of the trip was spent talking about normal things like the latest movies, friends from college, and murdering grandmas.
"Which one do you like?"
"That one."
"You can't buy a car you already own," he reminded her as he steered her away from her car. "Your Honda is older than you. We've talked about this. It's time to have something a little more reliable."
"I know," Libby whined. "I didn't think I was the nostalgic type, but now that we're here, I can't imagine getting rid of it."
Evan frowned as he grabbed her elbow and dragged her farther onto the car lot. They had already met five eager salespeople who were trying to sell her something she didn't want. Evan told them they wanted to look around for a while and see what they had. Doug, the most eager of them all, was still trailing behind them about fifteen feet, ready to answer any questions they might have.
"I've been thinking about getting another Honda, but newer. Maybe a hybrid. They get awesome gas mileage, and this one has run forever. Maybe my next one will last me thirty years."
Evan raised his eyebrows at her. "You have been thinking about getting another car."
"I told you. I've just been waiting to make it through graduation. It's like a ‘Happy Graduation’ present from me to me." Libby smiled. "And from Leanne. She wanted to help me out with it."
"Thank goodness, because I hate to stereotype—"
"You love to stereotype."
"—but that car looks like a drug dealer’s car."
"No, that car looks like a drug user’s car," Libby laughed. "Like I spend all my money on drugs. I've never done them before, but I'm assuming drugs are cheaper than college."
"Without a doubt."
"That's okay, this is part of my life plan."
"Uh oh. Can't forget about your life plan. What year are you on now?"
"Year seven."
"What happens in year seven?"
"I buy a new car." She leaned forward and flicked his forehead lightly.
Four hours later, they were on their way home. Three car lots, only one test drive, and Evan was looking frustrated.
"What was wrong with those cars? They were good cars!"
"And overpriced," Libby added.
Evan ran a hand over his face. "You're driving me crazy."
"Pretty sure you're already there."
She could feel his eyes burning through her.
Libby decided to let up on him. "If you must know, I've been looking around online, and I think I could find a car for sale by owner way cheaper than the lots."
"There wouldn't be any warranty, though."
"True, but I worked out the price difference, and I could probably replace the entire engine with the money I would save. I plan to save that extra cash in case something goes wrong."
Evan studied her for a minute. "You've had this planned out. Why did you make me go through the pain of dragging you to all those car lots? I forgot that you are so anti-loan."
"Well, I'm not anti-loan as long as I'm the lender." Libby smiled. "Besides, it was fun to go car shopping. I've never been before."
"I could strangle you."
Libby shook her finger at him. "Nope, one murderer in the family is enough."
She could see him fighting a smile out of the corner of her eye, but he couldn't help the short burst of laughter that came out.
"Fine, you want to buy a car from a private owner? Go for it. But you're taking a mechanic and me with you. I don't want you to get killed. Two words: Craigslist Killer."
Libby pulled the car into Marcie's driveway and turned it off before she turned to stare at Evan. "The next future Craigslist Killer is my roommate."
Evan looked at her, then at the house, then back to her. "Come on. Grandma isn't going to kill anyone."
"Oh really? Because that gun she built says otherwise." She drummed her fingers against the steering wheel.
"Grandma does have a thing for guns. But that's nothing new, so don't worry too much about it."
"You—" Libby jabbed a finger into his hard bicep, "hired me to get worried about her. Didn't you?"
Evan rubbed the spot where she had poked him. "Good point. At least I'll be here for a while. Between the two of us, we can get her to a doctor appointment and make sure it's not dementia."
"Okay. I'll make sure she keeps the appointment." Libby started to open the door, but Evan grabbed her wrist. His hand felt hot against her skin.
"Before you get out, you have to promise me you'll get a car before the end of summer."
Libby held his stare. "I'll do you one better. I'll get a new car before the end of the month."
"Perfect." Evan smiled, showing off his white teeth. He jumped out of the car and waited until Libby was standing next to him. "It looks like Marcie's still writing. Let's go say hi to Ellie. I haven't seen her yet."
Libby glanced at the front porch where Marcie sat on the porch swing that Evan had hung the day before, typing away on her laptop. "You go ahead. I'll stay at the house with Marcie."
She turned to head into the house, upset with what she was feeling. She didn't like feeling that strange twinge of jealousy toward Ellie.
Libby didn't even make it to the front porch. Instead, Evan pulled her by the hand down the sidewalk toward town.
"You know, if you're not careful, you'll become a hermit," Evan stated as he pulled her along at a brisk pace. "You've got to have a social life."
"I don't want a social life. You always force me to have a social life."
Evan continued as though she hadn't spoken. "Get out and meet people. Go on a date."
She finally caught up with him and began keeping pace with his much longer legs, but he still held her hand. She tried to ignore the tingling in her arm. "I tried to go on a date, but someone I know ruined my date with the only single man in town."
"Oh I'm sure there are more single men around; you just have to look." He grinned and squeezed her hand.
"If you're referring to Chuck, I refuse. He has bad breath."
"You've smelled Chuck's breath?" He made a disgusted face. "What were you doing standing that close to him?"
"Who hasn't smelled that man's breath? He stands six inches away when he talks to you." She gagged.
Evan laughed. "Um, no he doesn't. You must be a special case. He probably likes you."
"He's old enough to be my dad."
"That hasn't stopped men since the beginning of time," Evan laughed.
He released her hand when they reached Ellie's new shop so that he could open the door for her. They found Ellie and A.M. standing in the foyer, facing each other with hands on their hips. It reminded Libby of an old western standoff. Thanks to Vivian's old movie obsession, she had seen a black-and-white western a time or two.
"Hey! What's going on? Ellie? Lane?" Evan asked in that ea
sygoing tone of his that put anyone at ease.
Libby watched as Lane clenched his jaw and Ellie tapped her sandal-clad foot on the ground.
Finally, Lane turned to them and smiled at Libby. He winked when he said, "You've got both feet on the ground this time."
Libby suddenly found the ceiling very interesting. She wasn't sure how he would react after last night. She hadn't wanted to hurt his feelings. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy, but it had been poor timing to walk into the living room and see Libby sitting on Evan's shoulders, screaming like crazy.
Evan cut in. "Last night was all my fault. I let Carl in the house, and he brought in a raccoon too. We were in the middle of catching it when you walked in the other night."
"No worries." Lane waved a hand through the air before turning to Libby. "Still feel like some Italian? Are you free Monday?"
Libby gave him a warm smile, grateful that he didn't hold Saturday night's debacle against her. "Monday works for me."
"Great!" Evan said. "Ellie and I will meet you guys there at six, right Ellie?"
Ellie's eyebrows shot up before she replied, "Right. I'll close the shop a little early then."
"Okay, see you guys Monday!" Evan called as he grabbed Libby by the shoulder and ushered her out the door.
They started back to Marcie's.
"What just happened?" Libby asked.
Evan smiled tightly.
"I thought we were going to talk with Ellie, but we weren't even in there five minutes and all of a sudden we're going on a double date on Monday. I didn't even know you and Ellie were dating."
Evan shrugged. "We weren't."
Libby followed him home, wondering how serious he was about Ellie and thinking that it didn't make her all that happy.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
THE date was a disaster.
There was no other word to describe it.
Lane, Ellie, Libby, and Evan sat waiting for a table for thirty minutes at the new Italian restaurant. When they were finally seated in a booth, Evan glared at Lane whenever he put his arm around Libby. Ellie kept sketching on her little notebook, and Lane kept making fun of her for it.
The waiter hadn't even brought them their water glasses before Lane and Ellie were in a full-blown argument.
Libby placed the blame where it laid: Evan's feet. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and texted him since he sat across from her. She couldn't hear herself think over Lane and Ellie’s "discussion" on the proper flooring for their store's entryway.
Libby: I never knew there were so many ways to disagree about bamboo flooring.
Evan leaned forward so he could pull his phone from his pocket. He read the text with a small smile on his face before he texted back.
Evan: I'm sorry I crashed your date.
Libby: At least you admit it finally.
Evan: I didn't think going on a date with you would be so awful.
Libby scowled at him and set her phone down on the table. It chimed again. Evan raised his eyebrows up and down rapidly as he looked at her and then her phone.
Ellie and Lane had moved on to the topic of whether a light or dark stain was right for the front door. With a sigh, Libby picked up her phone again.
Evan: Going on a date with YOU isn't awful. I meant sitting here with an old married couple is awful.
Libby snorted on a laugh at his description of Ellie and Lane's arguing. She looked up and caught Evan's eye. The only waiter they had seen since they got there was the one who seated them. With Ellie and Lane's bickering, and the lack of service, the date was a dud.
Evan mouthed, "Want to stop by and grab some ice cream at the market?"
"Yes — as long as it's chocolate peanut butter."
"Let's get two cartons."
"I like the way you think."
Libby grabbed her clutch off the table, wobbled slightly on the heels she had decided to wear, and followed Evan to the front of the restaurant. They didn't bother to say goodbye to Ellie and Lane, who were still in the middle of their argument and didn't even notice them leaving.
Evan opened the door for Libby and followed her through. He rested his hand on the small of her back, sending tingles up her spine.
"I'm truly sorry we crashed your date, Libby."
Libby shrugged as Evan opened the car door for her. "I guess it just wasn't meant to be. It's probably for the best. I didn't like him that much, anyway."
She buckled her seatbelt as Evan climbed into the driver's seat.
"Why did you agree to go out with him if you weren't all that interested?"
"Why did you ask Ellie out if you didn't plan on staying?" Libby asked as she leaned toward him over the middle console.
"You want me to go back in?" he asked with a clenched jaw.
"If you want to date her, you probably should." Libby folded her arms across her chest.
Evan started the car with a jerky twist.
"Don't break the key," Libby told him.
He turned to glare at her. "Thank you for that helpful piece of advice, oh wise one who dates people she doesn't like."
"That's not what I meant!"
Evan rolled his eyes and turned around to back out of the parking lot. "He didn't seem that interested. He was having more fun arguing with Ellie."
Libby put her hand to her mouth and looked out the window, away from Evan. She made a muffled sound and bit her knuckles to stop any more sound from coming out.
Evan muttered under his breath and stopped the car. His hands grasped Libby's shoulders and turned her toward him so that he could pull her against his chest.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I just don't like that guy." His voice shook his chest where he had her head pressed.
Libby only shook harder.
"I didn't mean to make you cry. Please don't cry. I was a jerk."
Libby couldn't hold it in any longer. A loud peal of laughter escaped her lips. The more she tried to stop laughing, the louder it got.
Evan pulled back a few inches. "Are you laughing?"
Libby could barely breathe through the laughter as she looked at him and nodded.
"You're crazy. What is wrong with you? I thought you were balling your eyes out."
Libby tried to talk, but every time she opened her mouth, more laughter came out. She motioned back at the restaurant, then pointed to Evan, then back to the restaurant.
"I'm not good at this whole mime routine, so you're going to have to let me in on the joke," Evan told her dryly as he bent down to peer in her face.
"We left them—" she paused to laugh some more, "because they were fighting so much."
She wheezed.
"And then, we start fighting in the car — about them!"
She broke into another round of laughter.
Evan looked at her with a smile on his face. "You know, I don't think it's as funny as you think it is."
"I know, but for some reason, I think it's hilarious." Libby chuckled as she tried to take deep breaths.
Evan smiled even wider as he pulled out onto the road. "Let's go get that ice cream."
"Okay, let me text Marcie and see if she wants anything." Libby pulled out her phone and sent a quick text. Less than a minute later, her phone chimed.
She turned to Evan. "Marcie wants some M&M's and sherbet."
"That's disgusting. Who eats sherbet?"
"Your grandma."
One hour later, Marcie, Evan, and Libby sat on the purple couch, each eating a bowl of sherbet and watching an old Jackie Chan movie.
She wasn't sure how her life came to this point, but here she was. She had had her first post-college date and what happens? She left with someone other than her date.
Not that that part was her fault. If Lane and Ellie hadn't been arguing like two toddlers, maybe the evening would have turned out differently.
But Libby wasn't even upset about it. She was sitting on the purple couch with her legs resting on Evan's lap, and she was enjoying herself. I
t was like a repeat of her last sabotaged date, except this time, she was getting a foot rub out of the deal.
Bebe lay on Libby's lap, while Evan rubbed her feet through her tall, fuzzy socks. Marcie was sitting in the recliner, writing on her notepad while she watched the movie. Evan looked content where he had his head leaned against the couch.
"You have tiny feet."
Bebe climbed up Libby's torso to snuggle under her chin. She smelled infinitely better after Libby had given her a bath this weekend. "I don't know if I'm supposed to say thank you, or tell you my shoe size."
"Definitely shoe size."
"Six."
"Do you have to shop in the kids’ section?" He smiled as he rubbed lazy circles around her feet.
"I've never heard that one before," Libby said. She felt so relaxed that he could go ahead and insult her all he wanted as long as he kept rubbing her feet.
Libby's phone chimed. She ignored it.
"Aren't you going to answer that?" Evan asked.
Libby smiled. It drove Evan crazy when people ignored their phones. He always answered the minute he saw a text. Libby, on the other hand, didn't mind waiting an hour to text someone back. It made Evan sweat to watch her ignore those texts. That might be why she enjoyed doing it so much.
Marcie stood and left the living room, muttering to herself about plausible deniability. Libby really was going to have to keep a closer eye on her.
Her phone chimed again.
And again.
Evan's eye twitched.
The phone chimed a fourth and fifth time.
With a sigh, Libby pulled her phone out of her pocket. Even she couldn't ignore that many messages.
She opened her phone.
Leanne: Check out this hotel.
Leanne: We're touring these caves when we're there.
Leanne: I'm looking forward to spending time with you. Why don't you bring your friend Evan? I always liked him.
The texts included a picture of a hotel in the tropics and of some sea caves.
Libby glanced at Evan who was still absentmindedly rubbing her feet. "Leanne wants you to come to Belize with us."
His eyes lit up. "And what do you think about that?"
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